price



(NoModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. W. PRICE.

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

No. 299,260. Patented May 27, 1884.

Fig. 1

INVENT R.

Attorney.

N. PETERS Fholu-Ulhagraphnr. Washinglnn. D. c.

2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

G. W. PRICE.

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

Patented May 27, 1884..

Fig. 8

Fig. 4

Fig. 11

Fig. 6

GEORGE YV. PRICE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO BERNARD N. BAKER, OF SAME PLACE.

ROTARY STEAMEENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 299,260, dated May 27, 1884.

Application filed November 26, 1883. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. PRICE, of the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rotary Steam-Engines, as well as in the method of packing the parts thereof to make them steam-tight, of which the following is a full and clear description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of the cylinder, showing steam and exhaust ports and reversing attachments, also the packing arrangement for the shaft, the abutments, and top view of the piston. Fig. 2 is an isometric view of the hub, the abutments on their concentric shaft, and the piston. Fig. 3 is an isometric view of the hub and shaft, showing the pistons and packing of the hub. Figs. 4 and 5 are views of the interior faces of the abutments, showing the inclines which serve as guides to propel the pistons from side to side. Fig. 6 is a face view of the piston. Fig. 7 is an interior view of the piston with the face-plate removed, showing the packing device. Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the piston cut through the line a: w, and by a plane perpendicular to the face of the piston. Fig 9 is a side elevation of the hub. Fig'. 10 is a plan view of the hub. Fig. 11 is a section of the hub. Fig. 12 is an interior view of the packing-rings which surround the periphery of the hub.

A, Fig. 1, represents a central shaft passing through the packing-boxes, and abutments B and B, to which shaft is secured the hub O. B and B are the abutments. They are located within the cylinder and placed on either side of the hub, in the position shown in Fig. 2. The shaft A is intended to revolve freely in the journal of these abutments, which are held in place by the lugs I and I, which are inserted into the slots formed in the cylinder-heads for this purpose. The abutments are formed as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The one to the left is marked B in the drawings, and that to the right is marked 13. They are constructed circular in form. The outer faces are planes. The inner surfaces are formed in two parts an upper or raised surface and a lower or depressed onedivided by a diameter, and connected together by an inclined plane, through which the steam and exhaust ports are shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and marked thereon E and F. The ports, as shown in the figures, exhibit one form in which they may be made.

Another,and, perhaps, a preferable,way for the steam to enter and escape is shown in Fig. 1, in which figure the same E and E represent the steam-ports, and F and F represent the exhaust-ports. The steam-ports, it will be seen, are thus arranged on the opposite sides of the cylinder and diametrically opposite to each other, and the exhaust-ports are placed on the sides of the cylinder opposite to the steam-ports. The inner surfaces of the abutments B and B, formed as above described,

a. WVhen placed in position, as shown in Fig.

2, the raised parts of each are opposite the depressed parts of the other. The plane surfaces of the sides of the hub, together with the abutments thus constructed, on their sides next to the hub, form steam-spaces, which are dia- 7 5 metrically opposite to each other, one on each side of the hub, marked in the drawings (1 and d. The two inclined planes 1) and b, which connect the upper and lower surfaces of the abutments, act as guides to the sliding plates or pistons, and direct their movement from side to side, as required.

0 is the hub, which maybe cast upon the shaft or otherwise secured thereto, and is slotted radially in two places diametrically opposite to each other.

D and D represent the pistons, of which there are two, (see Fig. 3,) which are placed within these slots in the hub, and when so placed are intended to slide from side to side 0 therein. In practice more than two pistons can be arranged in. one machine, if desired. In Fig. 2 one piston is shown which has just passed from the steam-space d, and has crossed over the stcanrspace (1, the left side of this 9:, piston passed. up the steam-space cl until it L is a packing-ring also, and is secured to the top of the ring K by bolts or otherwise.

The packing-ring J is threaded on its outer circumference, which screws into a thread upon the interior of the circular opening in the cylinder-head, and bears upon the plane outer surfaces of the abutments B and B.

Fig. 6 of the drawings is a plan view of the piston, upon which (the figures 1 1 1, 81.01,) are thecountersunk heads of the bolts for holdlng the face-plates of the piston together. By removing one of the face-plates, the interior packing arrangement is seen, as shown in Fig. 7 This packing arrangement is, constructed as follows: 1. 1 1, &c., are the bolts, the heads of which are shown and marked by the same figures as in Fig. 6. 4 4 are irregular-shaped pieces of metal, which, together with the wedge-shaped or triangular pieces 2 2, when put together, form a quadrilateral of the size of the piston. The slots 3 3, cut in the plates 4. 4, are intended to allow an outward and inward movement of these plates. 5 is a spring, shown in the drawings in the shape of a wag nspring, and is placed so as to exert its force on the bases of the two triangular pieces-2 2.

It will be seen that by forcing these triangular pieces outwardly, the pieces-4 4 are pressed against the sides of the abutments laterally,

against the inner circumferential surface of.

the cylinder, and against the shaft, thus packing the piston and preventing leakage of the steam.

Fig. 8 is a section of the pistoncut through the lines w 00 by a plane perpendicular to the face. 6 6 are the face-plates of the piston, and 7 is the packing. 8 8 are rings cast on the intenor of one of the face-plates, through which the bolts 1 1 pass, and which are made high enough to prevent the plates being screwed so tight together as to prevent the packing from working.

Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12 areintended to illustrate the method of packing the hub to prevent leakage of steam between it and the interior circumferential surface of the cylinder. The hub O is turned down around its entire circumference on each side, forming two circular grooves, separated by the central proection of the hub,which is marked on drawlngs, Fig. 11, with the letter 6. At the point where these circular grooves unite with the openings in the hub in which the pistons are inserted the hub is out out, as shown at f in Fig. 9. These cut-out spaces are intended to receive the ends of the packing-rings, which are turned down and formed to fit therein, as shown at M, Fig. 12. The packing-rings marked R and R occupy the circular grooves turned out in the hub. These rings are in two pieces, one piece of which occupies one of the grooves in the hub, and, running around to the other side, meets the other. The two ends, at their junction, form diagonal parallel lines. These lines are shown at S S in Figs. 10 and 12.

O 0, Fig. 9, are notches cut in the hub. They are located just under the packing-rings. Their object is to allow the steam to exert its force against the inner part of the rings and press them against the interior of the cylinder. While the packing-rings are thus forced outwardly, the part of the ring turned down at M and inserted in the slots f keep the rings in place while revolving with the hub, and auto- 'matically pack the hub and cylinder and prevent leakage of steam. In order to prevent the escape of steam in the direction of the cylinder-heads, and at the same time take up the wear of the parts, the packing-ringJ is screwed down against the abutments B and B as the parts wear; and the space between the interior of the ring K and the shaft A is duly supplied with suitable packing, which is adjusted by means of the packing-rings L, and its bolts 1 running into the rings K.

The operation of the device is as follows:

. Steam is allowed to enter through the steamports E and E. Passing into the steam-spaces d and d, it strikes the pistons D and D, re-

volving the hub and forcing the pistons from the steam-ports E and E to the exhaust-ports F and F. When the pistons reach the inclined planes 1) and b, they are forced over to the opposite sides, and the steam which has propelled them is exhausted through the exhaust-ports F and F. The steam entering behind the pistons through the steam-ports strikes against the pistons, which have changed sides, propelling themagain until they have passed the exhaust-ports, and are forced back by the inclined planes to the sides at which the operation was begun, thus automatically, and by successive impulses, producing continuous revolution of the hub and shaft. The steamports E and E are so located that the sliding pistons D and D may pass them before the pistons have been pushed so far to the other side as to encounter a resistance or back action of the steam against them.

The engine may be easily reversed by means of the valve marked V in the drawings, Fig. 1,. as will be seen. By pulling upon the valvestem I the valve will close the port E and open the inlet F, which in turn will become the steam-inlet and E the exhaust-outlet. This valve-stem may be packed by means of the stuffing-box arrangement shown at w.

IIO

Having thus described my invention, what I B and B, provided with the ring K, in combination with the packing-ring L, provided with means for adjusting said ring, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a rotary steam-engine, the sliding piston D, operated as set forth, formed of two plates bolted together, in combination with an interior packing device, substantially as described.

3. In a rotary steam-engine, the sliding piston D, containing the internal packing device, consisting of the parts 4 4 4 4, the wedges 2 2, the slots 3 3 3 3, and the spring 5, inclosed within the piston-plates and secured together, substantially as described.

4. In a rotary steam-engine, the piston D,

provided with the internal packing, and means to prevent the outer plates from bearing upon the packing and preventing its proper action, substantially as described.

5. In a rotary steam-engine, the hub c, having exterior circumferential grooves, and the slots f, in combination with the packing rings, formed as shown, and arranged upon the hub, substantially as described.

6. In a rotary steam-engine, the hub 0, provided with sockets O, in combination with the packing-rings R and R, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

GEORGE WV. PRICE.

Witnesses:

FRANK P. CLARK, JOHN E. SEMMns. 

